Molecular Hydrogen (Hydrogen Water): For once, something that’s not too good to be true, based upon over 500 research studies involving more than 170 human and animal models.
It’s rare to find something with such an impeccable safety profile that has proven efficacy for a variety of clinical applications. I personally drink 1-2 glasses of H2-rich water daily and recommend it to all my patients.
Research has found that hydrogen water can do the following:
- Reduce inflammation
- Improve anxiety, mood and the function of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic fight or flight).
- Stimulate energy production
- Improve body composition
- Improve endurance related to exercise
- Help with mild cognitive impairment
- Protect against radiation
- Favorably modulate gut bacteria in athletes
- Improve fatty liver
- Provide a safe and effective way to combat free radicals and act as a potent/proven antioxidant.
- Lower blood sugar
How it works: We’ve all heard about the benefits of antioxidants and the dangers of oxidative stress, which leads to the formation of free radicals. Normal metabolism generates free radicals, as does exposure to X-rays, ozone, vigorous exercise, processed foods high in fat and sugar, and toxin exposure. Chronic oxidative stress is closely related to many lifestyle-related diseases, aging and cancer.
The bottom line is that no matter how cleanly you live, oxidative stress is an unavoidable consequence of most aspects of daily life. Current evidence has even connected oxidative stress to anxiety and major depression. The key is to have optimal levels of protective antioxidants to help balance this effect.
Oxidation is at the core of our metabolic machinery. It leads to the loss of a negatively charged electron, which then becomes the dreaded free radical. The free radical is very unstable, so it tries to find a new electron dance partner to replace the lost one. It steals one from its neighbor, who now has its own set of problems with its unpaired negatively charged electron to deal with. This sets off a domino effect in the system.
Antioxidants prevent the free radical from giving away its unstable electron. However, the overuse of antioxidants can backfire and actually have adverse consequences. Finding antioxidants with no side effects is very important for the prevention and treatment of disease.
Enter hydrogen water: Portable, safe and easily administered.
Molecular Hydrogen consists of 2 positively charged hydrogens bound together. This can act as an electron donor for free radicals-give them what they need to repair and leave their partners alone.
While much of the research involves inhaled H2, due to its rapid effects, this delivery method isn’t always practical and can have some safety concerns due to the need to strictly control the concentrations.
Research on H2 Water: All published studies, references below:
- A 4 week study examining the change in body fat percentage in middle-aged overweight women: H2 water significantly reduced body fat percentage as well as triglycerides and fasting insulin levels. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11845-017-1638-4
- A 24 week randomized, controlled trial study examined the effects of H2 water on body composition, cholesterol, and inflammation biomarkers in men and women and found improvements in all parameters. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7102907/
- Hydrogen water reduced fatty liver accumulation and improved liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210740119300853?via%3Dihub
- Benefits athletic performance: Found to reduce muscle fatigue and soreness post-exercise as well as improve muscle function. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2022/10000/
- A one-week study found that H2 water improved athletic performance in trained cyclists. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8139351/
- H2 is useful when administered along with the conventional therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) as it acts to reduce oxidative stress in the patients. Especially in the early stage, H2 showed significant therapeutic potential, which also seemed to assist diagnosis and treatment decisions of RA.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3788323/
- Reduced oxidative stress and disease activity in patients with RA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23031079/
- Cardiovascular Support: Molecular hydrogen exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, leading to cardiovascular benefits. Findings suggest that molecular hydrogen could be used as a novel treatment for various cardiovascular pathologies. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37269385/
- Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): Conclusion:H2 water may have a potential for suppressing dementia in an oxidative stress model and in the APOE4 carriers with MCI.https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/86702
- Favorably impacts panic disorder: In a clinical study with healthy volunteers, they found that drinking H2 water improves mood and anxiety by reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system.https://healthpsychologyresearch.openmedicalpublishing.org/article
- Neuroprotective: This review discusses some of the remarkable progress that has been made in the research of H2 use for neurological disorders, such as cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and neonatal brain disorders. Although most neurological disorders are currently incurable, these studies suggest the clinical potential of H2 administration for their prevention, treatment, and mitigation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27281176/
Finally, in the International Journal of Clinical Medicine: There are no safety issues with hydrogen; it has been used for years in gas mixtures for deep diving and in numerous clinical trials without adverse events, and there are no warnings in the literature of its toxicity or long-term exposure effects. Molecular hydrogen has proven useful and convenient as a novel antioxidant and modifier of gene expression in many conditions where oxidative stress and changes in gene expression result in cellular damage. https://www.scirp.org/html/5-2101253_62945.htm
How to use: Research shows 1 tab/day provides what is used in many of the studies for H2-rich water. Best to drink earlier in the morning on an empty stomach. Drink it all at once, don’t sip.
Comments are closed.